Author: Tim Hewitt-Coleman

Thinking of location for new house.

I have let it slowly sink in. The knowledge that the farm is now ours. We have title. Its been such a long journey. Since 2010 when I first saw the place and made contact with the seller’s agent.

The feeling I have is not relief, its more like feeling of contentment, or a sense that things are as they should be. The last year especially, has been quite intense. In March last year I secured an “option” to buy the property, since then I have been in a kind of purgatory, a “no man’s land”. In this time, the answer has been not quite yes and not quite no. If it had been “no” I suppose I could have moved on to do other things. (But then again, I have encountered a number of “nos” in this journey, but each time I heard no, I new that my task was to come back and ask the question in a different way.)

The little bit of work I was able to do on the farm, some with the help of volunteers, I had to do in the knowledge that it could all be wasted effort if the deal did not go through. But another part of me decided to continue as if the farm were mine already. Clearing paths, fixing dams, fixing roofs, building fences and grazing cattle. And I suppose that part of me won the day, the part of me that is the believer, the part of me that does not give up, the part of me that keeps pushing and does not easily tire.

Can you see the Woodpecker?

So now that the place is ours, I feel we have to give it a name. When I go out there, I say I am going to “The Farm”. Its formal name is Portion 3 of Farm 43, Goedmoedsfontein East. But Goedmoedsfontein East is the name of the “parent” farm from which this piece was subdivided. Gavin Flanagan’s farm across the road has a signboard that says: ‘Goedmoedsfontein East”, So while the farm is, I understand, the site of the original homestead of the farm, Goedmoedsfontein, it seems impractical to give that as is official name. So what is it to be then? We are in discussion as a family, but until then we will have to go by, Portion 3 of Farm 43, PE!

On the farm this weekend, working on a new “temporary paddock”, The moved the cattle this afternoon into the space marked “10” on the diagram. Perhaps 2 days worth of grazing in there. Its very small, will have to see how it looks tomorrow. The work involved in setting these paddocks up is mainly in clearing a path for the single strand electric fence to run. I then fix plastic insulted clips onto tree stumps and branches on the edge of the pasture or through the forested edge. Th actual running of the fencing strand takes only a few minutes.

paddock layout, revision 3

The Farm is ours.

I spent some time this morning moving the field fence closer toward the river giving an expanded grazing area. I worked by myself. The weather was warm. I enjoy working by myself – Working up a sweat. Its a kind of meditation for me. Working step by step – problem solving – figuring it out as I go on.

Filled the 1 kl rainwater tank up yesterday. With water from my neighbour Richard. Rain water would stretch a lot further, if I had more storage and if I could catch more of the water coming off the roof. I spent yesterday morning adding an additional 6 m of guttering. very temporary, but its the best I can do right now. The other thing I did yesterday was to begin to build a path along the stream. The idea is to have permanent fence on both sides of the stream, so as to keep cattle out. Working with the chainsaw in the forest is heavy work. The chainsaw is new to me, I feel like I am learning to do new stuff. Expanding the range of what I can do, extending what is possible.

The cattle have kept inside of camp “B” this week. The strand of electric fence around the camp seems to be enough to stop them wandering off into the forest. But the good grazing is all gone. They like the grass, not so much the bramble and he other shrubs and trees. (the trees they like are the Port Jackson and Keurboom)

Ran some stocking density calculations based on Allan Savory’s method (and as discussed in plain English by Joel Salatin) So if I were to observe that my 2500 sqm camp “A” has a weeks grazing for 4,5 cattle (three full grown and three calves)  after resting for 28 days, then I would be able to extrapolate that the whole 10 ha would be able to carry 29 head of cattle. The following inputs apply:

• 80% of the land can be developed as pasture.
• pasture required 28 days rest before it can be regrazed

This would assume that the whole farm had pasture the same quality as camp “A”. I am far from achieving that objective.

If these I can achieve these rates I would be at about three times the stacking density touted as “local knowledge” of the area. I remain therefore sceptical of my own calculations.

I have set up the formula in a spreadsheet, so as I am able to make observations that can perhaps impact on the calculation, I can add them and see what I get out. For example I may see that I need to rest the pasture more or less than the 28 days I am estimating. The amount of rest required will be impacted by rain and season. I may see that  4.5 cattle can be grazed for longer than 7 days on any given 2500 sq sample. This will require some record keeping.

Transfer is still not through. Just waiting now. It was “lodged” in Cape Town last Friday, 20 March 2014. So I am waiting. I don’t like waiting. Lawyers say – 8-10 working days. So by my calculation that means Tuesday or Thursday this week!!!

I been putting some effort into planning my next steps with the pasture. This is my thinking right now:

Step 1 – move the temporary field fence (the red line)

Step 3 – 15 different strips can then be created using temporary electric fence.

Step 4 – Set up water lines

With the pasture set up in this way, I would be able to graze each strip for two days in order to give 28 days rest before it is re grazed. I can observe this arrangement ot see if it delivers enough nourishment for the cattle.